Secret war for the tank on the Sino-Soviet

Argued, that the battle for the island of Sino-Soviet border guards were only, but it is not. for Damanskiy, in addition to the guards fought tankers, artillery and motor-rifle division. During the conflict, we have lost 11 armored personnel carriers and then super-secret ... tank T-62. Chinese car blew up on the ice. About the events said retired Colonel Pavel Kovalev

– In the late sixties I was in the headquarters of the Far Eastern Military District, - said Pavel. - While I was leading magazine hostilities. In early March, after the shooting of Chinese troops our frontier, at the border directly from the teachings transferred 135th motorized rifle division. 15 Martha 1969 in the Soviet Union held elections of deputies of the Supreme Council, and at this time on the island Damanskii fifty of our border guards fought with the Chinese infantry ...

In the evening the rescue green cap, Airborne Command has deployed a battalion of Major Smirnov. Before the attack, the second battalion of the Chinese positions of the past, our rocket artillery. Install "Grad" fired on the opposite bank of the Ussuri River, where, according to intelligence focused enemy infantry. As then he told Hong Kong radio this salvo sent to the light more 850 Chinese soldiers.

However, despite the strong barrage second battalion has not fulfilled its task, since advancing to the forehead, without intelligence and stable connection with the border guards. As it turned out, on 20 degree frost in radios refused batteries ... Yes, and armored vehicles were neobstrelyannye boys have served only six months.

This fact took advantage of a Chinese grenade throwers who was hit and burned 11 armored vehicles. Motorized infantry until late at night is still carried in the rear of the body of the dead and wounded.

The Chinese, too, left the island, and he was not employed by anyone. In the midst of the ensuing battle, Umansky frontier commander Colonel Demokrat Leonov took three T-62 arrived on the support of border guards on Damanskiy. Unfortunately, he did not put any combat mission before crews machines. Tankers are not even uncovered guns. Near the southern tip of the island Chinese thrower knocked caterpillar tank which was itself Leonov.

Through the escape hatch Colonel tried to leave the tank, but he was in a thick white coat and stuck in the hatch. After that, he was machine-gun fire cut. Other tanks having no connection with the staff and clearly the task returned to the outpost.

Once in Moscow we learned that the secret tank should cast a hundred meters away from the Chinese coast by the Minister of Defense Marshal of the Soviet Union Andrei Grechko ordered at any cost technique to evacuate. Unlike the old T-54 which stood 100 mm gun on the new installed caliber smoothbore gun 115 millimeters, and even to the same date in the world of night vision sight. Alas, Chinese night already in full removes all sensitive equipment.

Attempts sappers detonate the tank came to nothing. The enemy is not allowed to approach the squad car. Furthermore, Chinese tank hooked ropes and began to pull it to your beach. Then immediately transferred to the battlefield battery 240-millimeter mortars intended to destroy concrete bunkers and underground fortifications.

Volley fire managed to break the tow ropes, but failed to undermine the tank. Moscow continued to bomb military telegrams. The order - at any price to avoid hitting the enemy tank. I had to send back to the car sappers undermined. Sortie was preceded by a massive massive shelling Chinese positions of rocket launchers. Only after shelling miners managed to get close to the tank, and to undermine the ice.

However, after this unfortunate car only slightly sunk into the water tank ... and remained standing submerged until the end of April, all this time, the Chinese were trying to pull him to his side, and we have sought to destroy the machine.

Only when it started drifting ice and the T-62 is completely gone under water Motorized Infantry Division returned to the barracks. Well, the Chinese tank still pulled from the Ussuri and today it stands at one of their military museums.

Elena Milёhina

A source